High School Speak-Out

Last Friday, I had the honour to serve as one of three judges in our local high school’s speak-out competition.

Held and sponsored by Badger’s Quay Lions Club, this year’s event boasted nineteen students competing from Pearson Academy, the highest number of participants in all of Atlantic Canada. Good on you, teen citizens!

Purpose of a Speak-Out:

• To provide youth with the opportunity to practice and build skills through public speaking
• To encourage youth to have a public voice in issues of concern to them

And the winners are:

Left to right: Leah Lewis, Megan Kelloway, and Bridgette Burry

Bridgette, 3rd place. Topic: The dangers of drunk driving.

Leah, 2nd place. Topic: Being “Seventeen” in today’s world.

Megan, 1st place. Topic: How cancer in a family affects the children. As the winner, Megan will go on to compete at the regional level next month.

Megan had us teary-eyed (her mom survived)
Leah had us laughing with her take on Seventeen
Boys took part but were outnumbered by the girls.

What stood out about the winners: plenty of eye contact, how well they articulated their thoughts, and how animated and relaxed they were with the audience.

19 participants (plus a few more) attending the event from Pearson

I thought all the students did very well with the preparation of their chosen material. As per speak-out regulations, however, several excellent speeches received penalties for exceeding time limits.

I enjoyed this event immensely and would love to be invited back again, and I’m super-encouraged by the high level of participation and interest in public speaking demonstrated by our local youth.

Has your child ever competed in a public speaking event?
Share your experiences with me below.

Sunday Snap: Grates Cove

Grates Cove in Summer – jenniferkellandperry.com

I love the horizon I captured in this photo for two reasons: its misty summer haze and the slight curvature that it exhibits.

This picturesque little fishing village is my mother’s hometown. My father’s maternal roots are here as well, so many of my relatives are from Grates Cove. Some live there, while others have summer homes.

A National Historic site recognized for its acres of rock walls, it has also been reported that Grates Cove has the highest number (per capita) of mainlanders buying houses to live, in all of Newfoundland.

To learn more and see photos of the rock walls, visit my blog post from 2013: Grates Cove
To see more photos from around the province, visit my dedicated page: Newfoundland and Labrador

Daily Prompt: Horizon

Do you have relatives living in tiny villages?

Happy…and Busy!

It’s a cold and snowy day here at home, but the following warms me down to my toes.

I’m thrilled to see another powerful 5-star review on Amazon for Calmer Secrets!

Take a look:

“Calmer Secrets is a fascinating and mature, well-written second look into the lives of the Cross girls which takes place some four or five years after the events of the first book. The time gap and the substantial content in each novel support Jennifer Perry’s decision to split this story into two books.
Samantha is all grown up, Ben is gone, and against her self-centred, irritating sister’s advice she tumbles into a relationship with old friend Kalen – who has turned into a hot rocker. Their mother continues to wrestle with her issues, and the charming Henry, Veronica’s four-year old boy, is Samantha’s darling. The scene is set for a gritty, realistically told and engrossing unravelling of events, and old secrets, which will change everyone’s lives.
The gripping story kept me helplessly reading on, late into the night. Hints are dropped, with a thud, or a tickle of the mind, and I yelled at Samantha not to be such a fool, at Ronnie for her attitude, at Kalen, at Ben, at Darlene, at Cash… the only one I didn’t yell at was little Henry.
*Much* is explained as the final secrets are revealed and the ends of the story are resolved, and one begins to understand the complexity and depth of these beautifully crafted characters.
This is an excellent novel of family, love, and the damage that secrets can do. Highly recommended, but you have to read the first book first. Together, they make an epic story of ordinary life.”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1D4NN653C42PN

*Comments are closed because I’m feverishly writing this week and trying to minimize distractions. See you on Sunday!

Christmas and The Great Coast

The Yuletide is upon us! To my friends, followers and bloggers all around the world, I wish for you and your loved ones a holiday filled with all the joy the season has to offer.

Today, I’m sharing “The Great Coast,” a 3-minute short film by One 50 Canada Society, documenting their epic sea journey from St. John’s to the Torngat Mountains and to Nunavut, the newest, largest, and northernmost territory of Canada.

I love how the photo below introducing the video is of where I live: Newtown, Bonavista Bay, NL, and at the 1:36 mark we get an aerial view of Newtown. Great coast, indeed!

Stay safe, have fun, and see you all again in 2018. ❤

Where’s My Backpack Travel Theme: Love

Snow & Ice

“Our familiar garden by the sea has transformed . . . each bramble and bush laminated in a thick, crystalline coat, every amber blade dressed in its stiff raiment of frost. With a watchful step, I venture out on the crust of snow.” – Jennifer Kelland Perry, Endless Chill

Has winter arrived in your backyard?

Canada’s Oceans: Toward 2020

“The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope.
Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning:
we are all in the same boat.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

Signal Hill, St. John’s NL

So this is going on right now at the Royal Ontario Museum, with a topic near and dear to my heart:

Canada’s Oceans Symposium: Towards 2020

“Join the legacy of nurturing discovery as we work towards starting conversations about the future of our waters. Lead Canada’s efforts on ocean conservation with the Royal Ontario Museum.

Join leading ocean scientists, storytellers, Indigenous leaders and government stakeholders as they look towards 2020 in this compelling conference exploring the status of Canada’s marine conservation programs, and our role in protecting the oceans that sustain us.”

Keynote Speakers: Alexandra Cousteau and Mandy-Rae Krack, “united as strong women deeply in love with the oceans and committed to their protection, the pair will provide engaging, timely, and complementary talks.”

For more information, click here.

Perry’s Point, Newtown, NL

“The sea, once it casts its spell,
holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
– Jacques Yves Cousteau

Dancing with the Waves

Not to be confused with last month’s Jumping the Waves.

I thought it only fair to feature both of our grandchildren enjoying the ocean!

Travel Theme: Warm

Sunset

Sunset at Newtown Branch*

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” – John Ruskin

* Photo Challenges (taken with iPhone 6):
Temporary
Transformation

Jumping the Waves

Photo first published here: Sunshine, Surf and Sand

I’m away, so comments are closed. Have a lovely Sunday! – JKP

Evening on Pinchard’s Island

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly. . . into the mystic.”
~ Van Morrison